Heads Up will harness the influence and popularity of football to help show the world that mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, and will build on the decades of work to tackle the stigma and drive the conversation on mental health.

The Barnet FC Walking Football Team feature prominently in the launch video, having been invited to take part by The FA.

The Duke of Cambridge and England manager Gareth Southgate also feature in an emotive film outlining the Heads Up manifesto. The film also included Lionesses’ legend Kelly Smith and the founders of FC Not Alone Matt Legg and Ian McKenzie.

Heads Up will be launched at The FA Community Shield in August 2019 and will culminate at the May 2020 FA Cup Final, where Emirates has generously agreed to support the Heads Up campaign. The campaign will be visible across all levels of football in England throughout the course of the 2019/20 season, including the men’s and women’s England teams, FA competitions and grassroots – from England matches through to the Emirates FA Cup. The FA will give more details of this broad ambitious campaign at the start of next season at The FA Community Shield. During next season dedicated promotional activity will aim to spark conversations while resources and training will be available to all football participants and FA staff.

Walking Football is one of the many Community activities run by The Hive Foundation. Over 50s Walking Football Sessions take place on Thursday evenings (7-8pm) and Friday afternoons (2-3pm). £3 per session.

For more information, please contact Matt Dixon at mdixon@thehivelondon.com